Gear-box for ballast tamper



Aug. 27, 1957 E. SIGRIST GEAR-BOX FOR BALLAST TAMPER Filed Dec. 31, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Edward S 'grzlsl BY Hnmk o g figy 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 31-, 1953 Fig.3.

INVENTOR idaaara' Sigifisf BY MJBMOaqJ fi 2,804,185 GEAR-BOX FOR BALLAST TAMPER Edouard Sigrist, Chur,

Industriel S. A., Lausanne, tions Mecaniques S. A., Renens, porations of Switzerland Switzerland, assignor to Materiel Switzerland, and Construc- Switzeriand, both cor- Claims priority,

6 Claims. '(01. 192-67) This invention relates to means for controlling movement of a ballast tamper and more particularly to a gearbox for controlling a ballast tamper.

It is an object of this invention to provide a railway track ballast tamper which is able to move along the track and advance accurately step by step from tie to tie during the tamping operations.

It is an object of this invention to provide a ballast tamper, which is in addition to the customary motor and gear box, the additional combination of a gear box which will quickly drive the tamper and at the same time release a brake.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a gear box for a tamper which will automatically lock the tamper brake above the tie under which ballast is to be tamped or rammed. It is an object of this invention to provide a gear box for a ballast tamper which will carry out the above mentioned objects in a dependable manner and quickly. It is a further object of this invention to provide a gear box by this invention which will be operated without the standard gear shift levers and clutch pedals used at present in normal operation.

Other objects of this invention will become more apparent upon the consideration of the following descriptions taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is adiametrical side elevation of the gear box of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a portion of the gear box of this invention;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the portion of the gear box in this invention shown in Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a close-up perspective of an engaging disengaging assembly of this invention.

In general, this invention provides an auxiliary force that will normally keep the gears in a gear box of a ballast tamper disengaged and will keep the brake of the vehicle locked, providing in the same device a servo motor mecha nism that can be actuated'to overcome the effect of the auxiliary force and engage the gears and simultaneously releasing the brake. This invention also provides a lock which locks out the action of the auxiliary force and breaks the connection between the clutch driving member of the auxiliary force and the clutch so that the clutch is connected directly to the conventional clutch pedal for operating the ballast tamper.

Referring specifically to the embodiments shown in the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a motor shaft 1 which is connectable to a source of' power not shown and assumed to be to the right of Fig. 1. Driving power for the ballast and tamper is transmitted through the motor shaft into a gear Inside the gear box the shaft 1 retransmits the power of a shaft 2 through a clutch 3 which is shown in dotted lines in the drawing. The clutch 3 can be controlled by a fork 5 mounted on a shaft 4. The fork 5 is also shown in dotted lines. These are the parts of the conventional clutch in the gear box of this invention. The shaft 2 in turn drives the gears of the gear box and eventually drives the ballast tamper by means of box of this invention.

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gears not shown. These gears that are not shown provide different transmission ratios of direction reversal functions customary for gears. A gear shift lever 6 is shown for the control and movement of the gears.

The clutch 3 is normally disengaged by a conventional clutch release pedal 7 and associated levers including a rod 10. The drive of the ballast tamper to the wheels is effected through a shaft 8 and a chain 9. Various other drive motions from the gears of the gear box to the wheels of the gear box may be employed within the spirit 'of this invention. The ballast tamper may be operated over railway track in a desired manner similar to the operation of an automobile by employing the clutch pedal 7 and the gear shift lever 6 to control the movement of the tamper wheels.

In Fig. 2 is shown the central part of the gear box which lies between the dot and dash lines AA of Fig. 1. Fig. 2 shows the rod 10 connected to lever 11. The lever 11 in turn rotates sleeve 12 on shaft 4 on which it is mounted as shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a top plan view if the portion of the gear box shown in Fig. 2. Viewing the central portion of the gear box from above in Fig. 3, a dog 13 is shown on a square section 14 of the shaft 4. The shaft 4 has mounted on it, as mentioned above, the fork 5. The fork 5, as shown in Fig. 1, bears against and controls the clutch 3. Thus, rotation of the shaft 4 moves the fork 5 and controls the clutch 3. The dog 13 is slidable on the square portion 14. In sliding, the dog 13 moves between the sleeve 12 and a sleeve 28. The sleeve 28 is integral with a lever 18.

The lever 15 is connected to and acts upon a rod 16 of a slide valve that moves in a cylinder 17, as shown in Fig. 2. The cylinder 17 controls the braking action of the vehicle. The lever 15 is hinged on the shaft 4. The lever 18 is coaxial with the lever 15 and as mentioned above is capable of acting on the clutch 3 when the dog 13 is engaged with the sleeve 28 of the lever 18. The levers 15 and 18 are subject to the action of springs 19 and 20' respectively.

Each of the levers 15 and 18 has a horizontal free branch. The horizontal branches of the levers 15 and 18 are formed to be closely positioned at their free end. The free end of the levers 15 and 18 is engaged by a stirrup 21 mounted on the end of a rod 22, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The rod 22 is mounted on a piston moving in a cylinder 23. The piston and the rod 22 are movable to overcome the action of the springs 19 and 20 and to force the horizontal branches of the levers 15 and 18 upward to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3. In this position, the free end of the levers 15 and 18 are engaged by a stop 24 of a lever 25. With the free end of the lever arms 15and 18 thus engaged with the stop 24, the springs 19 and 20 are prevented from rotating the levers 15 and 18 to move the horizontal branches downward and the vertical branches to the right as shown in' Fig. 2. This position is the free driving position of the tamper of this invention and allows operation of the tamper machine without the interference of the device of this invention.

When the lever 25 is moved to the left as shown in Fig. 2 and in the direction of the arrow 27, the levers 15 and 18 are released so that the springs 19 and 20 are brought into play and caused to rotate counterclockwise with respect to the position of levers 15 and 18 shown in Fig. 2. In this latter rotation, the'lever 15 pushes the rod 16 into the cylinder 17 to operate the braking mechanism of the tamper machine. Simultaneously, the lever 18, rotating counterclockwise, causes its vertical arm to move to the right as shown in Fig. 2. When the dog 13 is engaged in the sleeve 28, this rotation of the sleeve 28, which accompanies the rotation of the lever 18, causes the dog 13 and consequently the shaft 4 and the fork 5 to also move and in moving the fork 5 bears against and releases the clutch 3.

The dog 13 is slid out of engagement with sleeve 12 and into engagement with sleeve 28 by moving the lever 25 to the left as shown in Fig. 2 when the lever 25 isdisengaged from the levers 15 and 18. A rod 29 connects the lever 25 with a plate 30, as shown in Fig. 2. In Fig. 4 the plate 30 is shown rotatable on a shaft 31. The shaft 31 is fixed in the boss 32 of the gear box wheel shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The motion of the lever 25 translated to the plate'30 of the rod 29 causes the plate 34) to pivot on the boss 32. The plate 30 has a finger 33, as shown in Fig. 4, which extends into a circumferential groove 34 of the dog 13. The rotation of the plate 30 on the shaft 31 causes a reciprocation of the finger 33 which when translated to the dog 13 slides it between engagement with sleeve 12 and engagement with sleeve 28. Thus, when the lever 25 is disengaged from the levers 15 and 18, the dog 13 is automatically shifted into engagement with sleeve 28 and lever 18. The springs 19 and 20 will hold the levers 15 and 18, respectively, in the counterclockwise rotated position until some mechanism returns them to the original position shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The cylinder 23 isappropriately powered so as to reciprocate the rod 22 up and down and accordingly move the stirrup 21. This movement of the stirrup 21 similarly moves the free arms of the levers 15 and 18 and provides a control over the operation of the clutch and braking mechanism of the tamper machine. When the rod 22 and the stirrup 21 are raised, the braking mechanism is released by the withdrawing of rod 16 from the cylinder 17. Simultaneously the clutch 3 is engaged by release from the contact of fork 5. This latter groove acts on the clockwise rotation of lever 18 and the square portion 14 of the shaft 4. The cylinder 23 may be controlled by a suitable control valve which regulates the operation of the rod 22. t

In the operation of this invention, the tamper operator by operating a control valve actuated with the cylinder 23 can cause the stirrup 21 to actuate the levers 15 and 18. The tamper machine can be made to move forward intermittently by the reciprocation of the rod 22 with the consequent rotation of levers 15 and 18 as controlled by the stirrup 21. The braking system will be intermittently operated through the cylinder 17 while the clutch will be concurrently engaged and disengaged by the action of the lever 18. When the tamping machine the cylinder 23 to cause the rod 22 to remain down and of the rod 22 which is subject to the control of the operator. When the rod 22 is raised and the levers 15 and 18 are rotated in a clockwise direction, the brake being released and the clutch being engaged, the tamping machine is moved forward for so much of a time and distance as is desired by the operator.

At the end of the tamping operation by the tamping machine, the levers may be locked in inoperative position to allow operation of the tamping machine without the levers. This locked out position is obtained by raising the rod 22 to push up the stirrup 21 and hold the levers l5 and 18 with their free ends raised until the lever 25 is moved over so that the stop 24 can engage the free ends of the levers 15 and 18. Thus the position shown in Fig. 2 is reestablished.

Thus this invention provides a device in which a tamping machine can be operated over short distances and held securely in position by a simple means of control under the direction of the tamper operator. The machine of this invention is readily positionable because of its easy response to the control provided through the cylinder 23. Another advantage of the device in this invention is that the clutch and brake driving members are fixed in the locked position until further actuation of the cylinder 23 causes the rod 22 to raise and to reestablish the moving position of the tamping machine.

This invention provides two sources of power within the gear box. One is a, force locking themechanism against movement, which is provided by the springs 19 and 20. The other mechanism is the cylinder 23 which forces the levers 15 and 18 to engage the clutch and release the brake and permit the machine to advance a distance required by the operator. At the end of this travel, the tamping machine can be fixed in position again and yet is readily available for further movement. It is another advantage of this invention that when the auxiliary force is disengaged from the system the clutch and the brake members are held to allow the machine to operate in a customary manner with the usual clutch pedal for control. Thus the device of this invention fits into standard practice and standard machines.

Modifications of the device of this'invention may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as described herein. It will be understood that the specific embodiment as shown in the figures and described herein is for the purpose of illustration'only. For example, the cylinder 23 can be modified by replacement with two separate cylinders acting separately on the levers 15 and 18.. By thus separating the operation of the levers 15 and 18 and providing two controls instead of one, it

will be possible for the operator to brake suddenly with out disengaging immediately, if necessary. On the other hand, the clutch control may be operated more slowly to avoid jerking and shaking of the device. In other words, a provision of dual control will allow smoother operation of the machine.

It is intended that the above embodiment be referred to for the purpose of illustration only and it is intended that the scope of the invention be limited only by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a gear box for a tamper device for railway ballast a combination of a clutch connecting a drive to the tamper device wheels, a first lever operable to engage and disengage said clutch, a keyed shaft carrying said first clutch operating lever, said first clutch operating lever operable by said keyed shaft, a sliding dog mounted on,

rotatable with and engaged in said keyed shaft, said keyed shaft actuatable by said sliding dog, a second lever, a mounting for said second lever coaxially with said shaft and receiving said sliding dog so as to operate said keyed shaft and said first clutch operating lever through said sliding dog, a first means for operating said second lever to disengage said clutch and a second means for operating said second lever to engage said clutch so constructed and arranged that said first lever engages and disengages said clutch upon actuation of said respective means.

2. In a gear box for a railway ballast tamper device as claimed in claim 1, a third lever locking said second lever in clutch disengaged position.

3. In a gear boX for a railway ballast tamper device as claimed in claim 1, a third lever locking said second lever in clutch disengaged position and means connecting said third lever and said sliding dog, said means engaging and disengaging said dog with said second lever.

4. In a gear box for a railway ballast tamper device as claimed in claim 3, said means for connecting said third lever and said dog comprising a rod attached to said third lever, a rotatable plate swivelly attached tosaid rod and a finger on said plate engaged with said dog to engage and disengage said dog with said second lever.

5. In a gear box for a tamper device for railway ballast, a combination of a clutch connecting a drive to the tamper device Wheels, a first lever operable to engage and disengage said clutch, a keyed shaft carrying said first clutch operating lever, said first clutchoperating lever operable by said keyed shaft,a sliding dog mounted on,

rotatable with and engaged in said keyed shaft, said keyed shaft actuatable by said sliding dog, a second lever, a mounting for said second lever coaxially with said shaft and receiving said sliding dog so as to operate said keyed shaft and said first clutch operating lever through said sliding dog, a tension spring for operating said second lever to disengage said clutch and a second means for operating said second lever to engage said clutch.

6. In a gear box for a railway tamper device as claimed in claim 5, said second means for operating said second 10 lever to engage said clutch comprising a cylinder and a 6 piston actuatable by said cylinder engageable with said second lever.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,975,626 Tibbetts Oct. 2, 1934 2,043,794 Curcuru June 9, 1936 2,139,198 Miller Dec. 6, 1938 2,501,198 Wagner et a1. Mar. 21, 1950 2,648,415 Neighbour et al. Aug. 11, 1953 

